ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College softball team dropped a pair of non-conference games to Widener University on Wednesday night, 12-2 in five innings in game one, and then falling 12-1 in the nightcap at the brand new Cynthia L. Blaschak turf softball field. 

Game One – Widener 12, Cedar Crest 2 (Five Innings)

Widener got on the board quick with three runs in the first inning. Sophomore Alyssa Gomez (Middletown, N.Y.) started the scoring with a single up the middle, which helped bring J. Mayorga home. In the next at-bat, first-year Kaelin Kuester (Wilmington, Del.) brought home senior Paris Balilonis (Philadelphia) on a base knock to center field. Kuester then came around to score on a wild pitch and first-year Emily Carney (Allentown, Pa.) closed out the inning with an RBI single to right field to bring home senior Caitlyn Katchur (Freeland, Pa.) for the 4-0 advantage.

Widener added four more in the top of the second to build a 7-0 lead.

Cedar Crest recorded a run in the home half of the second on a single to third base by senior Alexis Kline (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter), which helped score first-year Kylie Mastillo (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono).

The Pride tacked on five runs in the third frame to open up an 11-run margin, 12-1.

The Falcons plated one final tally in the fourth inning when first-year Emily Christopher (Palmerton, Pa./Palmerton Area) connected on a double to right field to bring home senior Alex Mullen (Prospect Park, Pa./Interboro) for the 12-2 score, the eventual final.

Mullen, first-year Madison Nadasi (Bushkill, Pa./East Stroudsburg North), Christopher, Mastillo, Kline, and first-year Taylor Lawrence (Bethel, Pa./Tulpehocken) each had a hit for Cedar Crest.

Balilonis paced Widener at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one RBI, and three runs scored.

Katchur secured the win in the circle for the Pride, tossing 2.2 innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out five. First-year Erin Gray (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) was tagged with the loss for the Falcons, surrendering seven runs (four earned) on nine hits while walking two in two innings of work.

Game Two – Widener 12, Cedar Crest 1

Widener started the scoring in the first inning of game two when Keuster drove in Mayorga with a base hit to right field for the 1-0 lead.

Keuster was back in the action in the third when she doubled down the left field line. The Pride went onto score twice more in the frame, increasing the score to 4-0.

The Falcons plated a run in the home half of the third when junior Laney Ferraro (Philadelphia, Pa./New Foundations Charter) crossed home on a wild pitch.

Widener scored one in the fourth, three in the fifth, and four in the seventh for the 12-1 final.

First-year Bella Smith (Washington's Crossing, Pa.) picked up the win in the circle for the Pride, tossing 2.2 innings. She gave up one run on three hits and added a pair of strikeouts.

First-year Alexis Acevedo (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) was credited with the loss for Cedar Crest, giving up four runs on six hits.

Mayorga collected a game-high four hits to go along with two RBI, and two runs scored for Widener.

Kline guided the Falcons with two hits in three at-bats. Mullen, Mastillo, Christopher, and Ferraro pitched in a hit each.

Cedar Crest (0-2 overall) will now embark on its Spring Break trip at the Fastpitch Dreams Classic in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Falcons will begin the trip on Monday, March 3 against Bay Path University at 1:00 p.m., followed by a matchup with Mary Baldwin University at 3:00 p.m. Widener (2-0 overall) returns to the field on Thursday, February 27 in a road doubleheader at Ursinus College beginning at 2:15 p.m.